Project Gutenberg 2019-03-06 Public domain in the USA. 190 Besant, Walter 1836 1901 Besant, Sir Walter Maurice, Walter Fifty Years Ago 50 Years Ago Preface -- Great Britain, Ireland, and the colonies -- The year 1837 -- London in 1837 -- In the street -- With the people -- With the middle-class -- In society -- At the play and the show -- In the house -- At school and university -- The tavern -- In club- and card-land -- With the wits -- Journals and journalists -- The sportsman -- In factory and mine -- With the men of science -- Law and justice -- Conclusion. Produced by Chris Curnow, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "Fifty Years Ago" by Walter Besant is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The work aims to provide a detailed portrayal of British society and life as it existed around the time of Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, reflecting on the significant changes that had occurred over the preceding fifty years. It delves into various aspects of British life, including politics, law, and social customs, offering a comprehensive view of the transformations that shaped the era. The opening of the book sets the stage for this exploration by establishing the time frame—1837—and reflecting on the significant continuity and change in societal values and structures. Besant expresses his astonishment at the profound evolution in public opinion and lifestyle, juxtaposing the past with the present. He discusses topics such as the lack of American influence in Britain at the time, the ongoing reverence for rank and privilege, political negligence, and the gradual awakening of democratic ideals. This context builds a foundation for understanding the future chapters that further elaborate on the shifts in manners, politics, and various societal sectors as the narrative progresses. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 67.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century DA Text Category: History - Other Category: History - British Category: History - Modern (1750+) 498797 2025-07-23T11:36:23.034250 text/html 482862 2019-03-06T03:50:00 text/html 11754489 2025-07-23T11:36:33.708178 application/epub+zip 11751083 2025-07-23T11:36:25.754165 application/epub+zip 248996 2025-07-23T11:36:24.333201 application/epub+zip 11849114 2025-07-23T11:36:39.620168 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 11705080 2025-07-23T11:36:32.186174 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 318175 2022-09-26T19:35:05.840462 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 407034 2025-07-23T11:36:21.557217 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 407283 2019-03-06T03:49:56 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19209 2025-07-23T11:36:39.803111 application/rdf+xml 7833 2025-07-23T11:36:24.451213 image/jpeg 1670 2025-07-23T11:36:24.390174 image/jpeg 160112 2019-03-06T03:50:04 application/octet-stream application/zip 9943483 2019-03-06T03:50:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 9956027 2025-07-23T11:36:23.453232 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia